WRW SPECIAL: SUCCESSION PLANNING

The Borthwick interlude concludes

It has always been possible, but now the inevitable is about to happen.

When Steve Borthwick leaves the East Midlands either this week or next at the soberingly young age of 43, his goal of becoming England Head Coach will become a reality. For those denizens of Welford Road upset at the timing of his departure, well, you could argue his departure is the major reason why he arrived in the first place, two years ago.

Given England’s travails since the World Cup, it has been blindingly obvious to anyone with half a brain cell that despite the coaching turnstile at Twickenham, the one thing Eddie Jones really lacked, was the one thing he couldn’t get back. I would be fascinated to understand the real relationship between Borthwick and his mentor - as remorseless and relentless kin as if they were brothers - and whether there was any attempt to bring him back earlier. Yet the onetime no.2 appears to have outgrown his former boss.

What happens now? Because of England’s need to appoint quickly with a Six Nations in World Cup year six weeks away, Borthwick has almost certainly coached his last Leicester game.

While experienced coaches such as Richard Cockerill and Matt Proudfoot can support Borthwick in the interim, it seems unlikely that he will go alone into such a highly political environment. Richard Wigglesworth seems the likeliest to leave with Borthwick, given his international coaching experience with Canada. 322 Premiership games and out?

But Tigers will not roll over and let the whole coaching team leave mid-season. I suspect Aled Walters and Kevin Sinfield will leave until the end of the season. While the rugby league legend is surely to join Borthwick, it is far from certain that Walters will. The genial Welshman’s contract is said to run out in the summer and the rumour mill suggests he does not have offers from just England.

I could just as easily see Walters go elsewhere, but the odds are that he will be in France for the World Cup this September, not the East Midlands.

LESSONS FOR ENGLAND

Why have England gone for Borthwick? His broader coaching experience has won the job, as if it was designed for someone seeking the most lucrative and high-profile coaching gig in the English game.

• A former England captain who knows much about adversity but who won the highest honours in the club game.

• Assistant coach in two international environments, getting to a World Cup Final with one of them.

• And of course, head coach of the Premiership’s champion club.

Much has been made of the speed with Tigers have been turned around. Those who remember the first Covid season where some games resembled extended training sessions, might question that, but to get a team from 12th to 6th and then to top of the tree inside two seasons is still going some.

For those interested, there are more relevant hallmarks that stand out about the Borthwick era. He will have nine Tests before the World Cup, so he will need to be ruthless. The same ruthlessness with which Borthwick modelled the operation around his set up and jettisoned those who would not be part of it. And this is at Leicester….

One coach was told to his face in public, “You have nothing to contribute to this club.” Needless to say, he left soon afterwards.

If you’re going to take on an England team, where the midfield has looked unbalanced regardless of who is in it, those “qualities” may well be needed. For what it’s worth, I’m not betting a single penny on Marcus Smith starting at 10 against Scotland in February.

WHO COMES IN AT LEICESTER?

The obvious question which hasn’t been answered, is what do Leicester do from here with an awkward trip to South Wales coming up on Sunday?

Short-term, Leicester will keep as many coaches as possible until the end of the season. As mentioned earlier, the main doubt is when Walters and Sinfield will head to pastures new. Brett Deacon deserves a shot to be in charge, with Tom Harrison and Matt Smith, until the end of the season.

But Borthwick’s impending departure leaves a massive power vacuum behind the scenes. Peter Tom who is not getting any younger, will have quite a call to make and this decision - rightly or wrongly - will be seen as part of his legacy. With Borthwick not around, the lack of professional rugby experience now within the club is startling.

You are reminded of the coaching merry-go-round prior to Borthwick’s appointment. In particular, the key moment appears to be when Tom overruled senior executives to appoint Matt O’Connor on the basis of his prior Premiership experience, passing up on Johan Van Graan and Ruan Ackermann. Arguably, that decision sent Leicester into the tailspin which only the appointment of Borthwick alleviated.

If Deacon is not considered a long-term option - and one would argue he is never going to get a better chance - there are at least three experienced Premiership Directors of Rugby available for work next summer.

Wasps’ last DOR Lee Blackett is now at Scarlets in a backroom role, but would be an odd fit on the other side of the M1. I’m told there is not a cat in hell’s chance of Peter Tom picking up the phone to speak to Steve Diamond who appears to be in the wrong consortium trying to buy Worcester.

And then there is Paul Gustard.

Currently within Gonzalo Quesada’s coaching set-up at a newly resurgent Stade Francais in the Top 14, he has returned to his roots as a defence coach. Given Stade have conceded fewer tries than anyone else and are up to 3rd, he is earning his Parisian corn.

Having been out of the English game since his departure from Harlequins, unless he is loving being out of the limelight in the French capital, I wonder if Stade might be getting a call from the East Midlands sometime soon. Unless there is a clause allowing him to return to England for a Director of Rugby position.

But unlike three years ago, there appear to be few easy options around for Leicester to sift through.

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FINAL WORD FOR COMMUNICATIONS

Sad to see Gary Sherrard leave Leicester Tigers this week.

It’s not altogether clear why the club’s ex-head of communications has left and I hope it’s not entirely down to budget. The suggestion is that he took redundancy terms.

Running a high-profile club’s communications is a stressful business. And that’s just having to manage me. But I’ve always been struck by the quiet, professional and honest manner in which he has treated us in the media. He’ll be missed.

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And a quick thank you from me for staying patient.

A recent change in employment has meant that I’ve been a little more occupied than usual away from events at Tigers. Sadly, I can’t guarantee that Welford Road Weekly will appear more regularly in the future.

But in 2023 after a much needed Christmas holiday, I will try to offer a few more WRWs. Enjoy the rest of December and have a great New Year.